Machine for making packing washers



Apyifi 22, 19241 1,491,687

J. H. FLAGG MACHINE FOR MAKING PACKING WASHERS Filed Nov. 1, 1921Fatented Apr. 22, 1924.

name

S T A T hddhtd? JOSEPH E. FLAGG, F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR,BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF ONE-HALF TO THE GRATON & KNIGHTMANUFACTUR- ING- COIVIPANY, 0Z5 WORCESTER. MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATIONOF MASSA- CE'USETTS, AND ONE-HALF T0 LEWIS H. TORREY, OF WORCESTER,MASSACHUSETTS.

MACHINE FOR MAKING PACKING WASHERS.

Application filed November 1, 1921. Serial No. 512,088.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrrr 'l-l. FLAGG, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county ofWorcester and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Machines for Making Packing "Washers, of which thefollowing, together with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

My invention relates to the manufacture of cupped packing washers andhas for its object to provide an improved method and a machine formaking articles of the above described type that are more durable andmore uniform in quality than packing washers heretofore manufactured.

In the previous manufacture of cupped packing washers it has beencustomary to employ fiat disks or blanks, generally circular in form,which are projected into a die opening smaller than the blanks by meansof a punch. The punch forces the central portion of the blank with whichit is in contact, into the die in a flat condition, while the remainingportions of the blank, not in contact with the end of the punch, aredrawn into the die opening and shaped around the sides of the punch toform, the cylindrical wall portion of the packing. It has always beennecessary to trim the uneven edges of the wall portions, following theforming operation, and it has also been found that packin washers formedas described above are lia is to crack and wear out at their cornersowing to the weakening of the wall material as it is bent around thepunch.

According to the present invention I provide an improved method ofmanufacture and an improved machine that is adapted to produce finishedpackings in one operation and is also adapted to produce cupped packingsin which the cup walls are greatly strengthened by compressing andsetting the fibres and are thereby made more wear resistant, as comparedwith cupped packings previously manufactured.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a transverse sectional view showing a portion of the parts ofmy improved forming machine in position for the formation of a cuppedpacking.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional View showing the parts of Flg. 1 inposition following the formation of a packing.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view showing the arrangement of the cammechanismfor operating the machine. r

Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of a blank for a packing washer.

Fig. 5 is a View in perspective of the blank shown in Fig. dafter it hasbeen formed by my machine.

Fig. 6 is a view in perspective showing the appearance of a blank at anintermediate splage in the formation thereof by my mac ine.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures.

Referring to the drawings, the machine 7 of which will be hereinafterdescribed. The.

sleeve 8is provided with an enlarged portion 10, the upper end of whichis threaded and is received in athreaded opening 11 provided at thelower end of the slide 3. The inside diameter of the enlarged portion 10of the sleeve 8 is great enough to allow the plunger 5 to be movedtherein.

As best shown in Fig. 3, the upper portion of the slide 3 provides apair of plane surfaces 12, each of which is adapted to be en-.

gaged by the surface of a cam 13 mounted on a drive shaft 14 whichextends across the top of the machine between the guides 2. The plunger5 also provides a plane. surface 15 which is adapted to be engaged by acam 16 mounted on the shaft 14 between the cams 13. From an inspectionof the form of the cams shown in Fig. 3, it is apparent that rotation ofthe shaft 14 will cause the cams 13 and 16 to operate on the surfaces 12and 15 respectively, and thereby cause separate greater diameter thanthe punch 7, and-an anvil 23 fits closely in the, opening 22. The anvil23 is provided with a shoulder 24: which is normally held. against thebottom of the die plate 21 by means of a spring 25' located within theopening 19 and having its lower end supported by an anvil block 26. Theanvil block 26 is externally threaded for cooperation with the lowerthreaded portion of the opening 19 and is provided with a tool receivingportion 27 by means of which the block 26 may be turned to adjust thetension of the spring 25-. The spring 25 normally maintains the topsurface of the anvil 23 flush with the top. surface of the die plate 21and a projection 28, formed onthe anvil 23, isadapted to. be inalinement with a cor responding recess 29 provided in the bottom surfaceof the punch 7.

Having thus described the various parts entering into my invention theoperation thereof is as follows :A blank 30, which is 3 generallycircular in form, as shown in Fig.

4, is provided with a central opening 31 whereby the blank may becentered on the anvil 23 by the projection 28. The blank 30 is ofsomewhat greater outside diameter than the punch 7, its outer portionbeing supported by that portion of the die plate 21 surrounding theopening 22. A blank 30 having been thus positioned on the anvil 23, theshaft 1a is rotated to bring the punching and forming devices intooperation, as

will now be described.

Referring again to Fig. 3, it will be seen that with the shaft 14.turning in the direction of the arrow, the cam 16 will first engage theplane surface 15 of the plunger 5 and thereby cause the punch, 7 todescend and engage the blank 30 which is thus held firmly between theend ofthe punch 7 and the anvil 23. Further downward movement of thepunch 7 will cause the blank 30 to be drawn into the opening 22 in thedie plate 21, the spring 25'permitting the anvil 23 to yield under thepressure of the punch 7. As the blank 30 is drawn into the opening 22,it is obvious that the portions of the blank 30 immediatelysurroundingthe opening 22 will be bent around the end of the punch 7 sothat the blank 30 will then have an appearance somewhat as shown in Fig.6. The blank 30 thenis generally cup-shaped in form, but the rim of thewall portion 32 is very irregular, owing to the fact that the outerperipheral portions of the blank 30 have been considerably compressed onbeing drawn into the die opening22.

In'so far as I am aware, all prior machines for forming cupped packingwashers by. pressure alone have been adapted to only form the blank asshown in Fig. 6, so that adapted to produce afinished packing byacombined drawing and compressing operation, and this action of mymachine will now be describedm detail.

Referring again to Fig. 3, it'will beseen that the plunger 5 is adaptedto reach the end of its downward stroke when the cam surface 06-?)engages the surface 15, at which time the parts of the machine will;occupy the position shown in Fig. 2. The spring 25 is here showncompressed to such-an extent that the shoulder 24: of the anvil 23 restsagainst a lug 26 extending upwardlyfrom the anvil block 26, so that theanvil 23 is rigidly supported. The parts will remain in this position solong .as the cam surface ab remains in contact with the plane surface15. When the punch 7 is moved downwardly, as described'above, it carriesthe sleeve 8 with it in the same relative position as shown in Fig. 1,and the sleeve 8 will remain in this position on the punch 7 until thehigh points 0. of the cams 13 engage the plane surfaces 12. When thisoccurs, the sleeve 8 will move downwardly on the then stationary punch 7to the posi-' tion shown in Fig. 2. 'As the sleeve 8 is thus moveddownwardly, its beveled edge 9 engages the rim of the wall portion 32 ofthe cupped blank 30 and crowdsit downwardly against the then stationaryanvil 23. It is apparent that this movement of the sleeeve 8 tends togreatly compressand set the fibres of the material of the cup wall sothat it will tend to completely fill the space between the punch 7, theend of the sleeve 8, the anvil 23 and the walls of the opening 22.

Further rotation of the shaft 14 will cause the cam surfaces a-b and cto pass ofl the surfaces 12 and 15, whereupon the punch 7 and the sleeve8 are withdrawn from the die 21 by any suitable means usually employedin machines of this type to return the reciprocating member or slide tothe top of its stroke. The withdrawal of the punch 7 and sleeve 8 will"allow the spring 25 to. expand and return the anvil 23 to the positionshown in .Fig. 1, where the completed washer may be removed therefrom.The completed article will then have the appearance shown in Fig. 5,wherein the wall portion 32 will have a smooth beveled edge 32*, andbeing closely compressed, as described above, will have considerablerigidity and strength. It is also apparent that packings formed as shownin Fig. 5 will be extremely durable, particularly at the corners 83where the compression of material is a maximum. This latter prop erty ofthe packings formed by my improved machine, is in direct contrast to thepackings formed by prior machines, as shown in Fig. 6, which were liableto crack at the corners, owing to the fact that the thickness of theblank has been considerably reduced by the forming operation.

From the'foregoing it is apparent that I have provided an improvedmethod of manufacture and an improved forming machine that is adapted toproduce finished cupped packing washers at a single operation, whichwashers will be more uniform and durable in quality than washersheretofore manufactured. While I have shown my invention embodied in aparticular arrangement of parts, it is not so limited, but issusceptible of various modifications within the scope of the appendedclaims.

I claim,

1. In a washer forming and compressing machine, the combination with adie provided with an opening, a reciprocable forming punch and acompressing sleeve movable thereon, and a yieldable anvil within saidopening, of means for moving said punch to depress said anvil, means forrendering said anvil rigid following a predetermined amount of movementthereby, and means for moving said sleeve into said opening after thesaid anvil is rigid.

2. In a washer forming and compressing machine, a rotating shaft, .areciprocable forming punch having a compressing sleeve movable thereon,and cams mounted on said shaft for directly engaging said punch and saidsleeve.

3. In a' washer forming and compressing machine, a rotating shaft, areciprocable forming punch having a compressing sleeve movable thereon,and cams mounted on said shaft for operating said punch and said sleeveto cause axial movement of first the punch and then the sleeve aftersaid punch has come to rest.

l. In a washer forming and compressing machine, the combination with adie provided with an opening and a yieldable anvil therein, a rotatingshaft and a reciprocable forming punch having a compressing sleevemovable thereon, of a cam mounted on said shaft for moving said punchinto the die opening, and a second cam mounted on said shaft for movingsaid sleeve into the die opening after the punch has come to rest.

5. In a machine of the class described, a plunger having rectilinearmovement and adapted, by a drawing operation to impart cup formation toa blank, in combination with a sleeve, brought into operation after saidplunger comes to rest, for applying pressure to the upstanding cuppedwall of said blank, by rectilinear movement against the same.

6. In a machine of the class described, a stationary blank supporthaving a cylindrical opening, a plunger movable toward said support todraw a flat blank into said opening and impart a cup formation thereto,and a sleeve surrounding said plunger and movable after the plunger hascome to rest to compress the upstanding wall of the cupped blank. I

7 In a machine of the class described, a stationary blank. supporthaving a cylindrical opening, a rotating shaft, a plunger movable towardsaid support by a cam on I said shaft to draw a fiat blank into saidopening and impart a cup formation thereto, and a sleeve surroundingsaid plunger and movable after the plunger has come to rest, by a cam onsaid shaft, to compress the upstanding wall of the cupped blank.

8. In a device for forming and shaping leather packing cups, thecombination with a die plate for supporting a perforated flat blank ofleather on its upper surface, said plate having an opening thereinand anenlarged cylindrical recess below provided with a screw thread at itsbottom, of a plunger fitting in said opening and having its lower end insaid recess, a bottom plate having a screw thread by which it isadjustably mounted at the bottom of said recess, a spring resting onsaid bottom plate for holding said plunger up with its upper surfaceflush with the top of said plate, said bottom plate having a positivestop within the spring for limiting the downward motion of the lowerplunger, a second plunger above the first having a smaller diameter thanthe opening in said plate arranged to engage the blank, and a hollowplunger centered on said forming plunger and fitting it, and having alower surface for shaping the to of the cup. Dated this 27th day ofctober, 1921.

' JOSEPH H. FLAGG.

